Re:A village where little girls turn into boys aged twelve (...
by belorn on Wednesday September 20, 2017 @12:25PM
(#15295553)
Politics in this context is heavily influenced for the need to simplify concepts into more binary states. The problem is that nature isn't binary.
For example, something is a "disorder" has historical been used as a bit more value neutral word for variance, but the more it is used the more it has become synonymous with disease. Similar for "medical condition". For example, we don't call left handed people to have some form of mental disorder, as that would imply today that there is some form of problem rather than simple variance. It also don't match at all those people who are ambidexterity.
If we found a genetic marker for handedness, it would likely also not be called a genetic disorder. If the variance cause additional problem, then the additional problems would be the disorder and the handedness a simple side effect.
One could argue that gender is more important than handedness, but then we enter values and believes into the mix and that would definitely be political in nature.
For example, something is a "disorder" has historical been used as a bit more value neutral word for variance, but the more it is used the more it has become synonymous with disease. Similar for "medical condition". For example, we don't call left handed people to have some form of mental disorder, as that would imply today that there is some form of problem rather than simple variance. It also don't match at all those people who are ambidexterity.
If we found a genetic marker for handedness, it would likely also not be called a genetic disorder. If the variance cause additional problem, then the additional problems would be the disorder and the handedness a simple side effect.
One could argue that gender is more important than handedness, but then we enter values and believes into the mix and that would definitely be political in nature.